'Even after 10 years, it will be relevant'

In conversation with Seenu Ramasamy

Filmmaker Seenu Ramasamy eyes quality than quantity, which is why he takes his own time to make movies. Having made his directorial debut in 2007 with Koodal Nagar, he went on to make Thenmerku Paruvakaatru in 2010, which fetched him three National Awards. Then, he did Neerparavai (2012) and after a gap of four years, he’s back with the Vijay Sethupathi-starrer Dharma Durai. Meanwhile, he has completed Idam Porul Yaeval, which is yet to see the limelight!

Coming from the Balu Mahendra School of filmmaking, Seenu tells us that he learnt about cinema from the filmmaker. “My craft and vision were moulded from there. I have always wanted to make good films without any compromise. I think those subconsciously reflect my thought process, which gets transferred to my films.”

A gutsy director, Seenu is known for his path breaking films, and does not depend on superstars. Seenu wanted Vijay Sethupathi because he knew the actor would be apt for the character sketch and the script. He explains, “Though Vijay Sethupathi and I share a great comfort level, it takes a lot for a hero like him to sign Dharma Durai. He’s already a busy person. His first film (Thenmerku...) was with me. So, I took the privilege of approaching him for Idam, again, to which he immediately agreed. But the film hasn’t been released yet. And when I told him the script of Dharma Durai, he blindly said ‘yes’. That shows the amount of faith that he has in me. I am always indebted to him.”

He is all praise for his three heroines — Tamannaah, Aishwarya Rajesh and Srushti Dange. “For me content is important. The story and packaging also matters. No character has been deliberately added to this script. The simplicity of the characters gel well with the personas of my actors. Even if the audience watch the film after 10 years, the theme will be relevant. As a director, I thought this from many angles and indulged myself with the characters in the story. The biggest challenge was to balance the mood of the scenes and characterisation, which was brought out with the best dialogues for every shot.” 

Dharma Durai has music by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while Vairamuthu penned the lyrics. “Sometimes, you are lucky. I needed somebody, who can contribute to the storytelling. Both Vairamuthu and Yuvan understood what the story demanded. On the other hand, Sukumar has done a brilliant job on cinematography. I wanted fresh visuals like what he captured in Mynaa (2010) and Kumki (2012). They did the rest of the magic,” he says.

Seenu is confident that Dharma Durai will repeat his previous successes. “Filmmaking is not only for entertainment, but also a responsibility. Clean family entertainers are my strength and I know how to convey my thoughts through the narration. Stories closer to reality win all the time and I see every film as an opportunity given to me to prove something to the society,” he says.

Touted to be an action-entertainer set in Madurai and its suburbs, reports suggest that the film revolves around three various stages of the protagonist’s life. “The script took a while to complete but it’s the film’s plus point. It’s rooted in culture and has a lot of emotional depth. It’s character-driven and the team has tried to make the film visually stunning. We have packaged the film with sentiments, love and action to appeal to all class of audience. Tamannaah has shed her glam look and is seen without any makeup. I was impressed by her performance in Baahubali (2015), and that’s why I decided to cast her. After Kaaka Muttai (2015), Aishwarya’s role in Dharma Durai will be most talked about. And though Srushti’s portions are limited, she has given her best. Radhikaa will be seen as Vijay Sethupathi's mother,” he says.

The film is produced by RK Suresh's Studio 9.

(The piece was originally written for The New Indian Express)